Reznikov
by I Feel Possessed
Summary: This is a one-shot post-script to S05E04 Reznikov.N as the episode and revelations generated numerous other questions. * Spoilers if you have not yet seen this episode *


This is a one-shot which takes place literally after the end of the episode, mainly as I have loads of questions which this episode raised, some of which I hope Callen gets a chance to investigate during of Season 5 and beyond. This has been written quickly, re-read and edited so advanced apologies for any typos and mistakes I haven't taken the time to research properly or correct.

** Edited as I'd spelt Arkady wrong, thanks to Dixie's review, I knew it looked wrong... **

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Callen wiped the tears away from his eyes. All his life he had believed and been led to believe that he was unwanted by his parents, cast aside, rejected, abandoned. It had taken his albeit temporary resignation and a violent trip to Romania two years ago, to remember that his mother had been executed in front of him as a young child. He had recalled little else, and Hetty had filled in a number of blanks, but those answers led to new questions – in addition to the multitude of unanswered questions he still had. And now, after another violent encounter he finally knew who his father was, and finally had proof that he was once part of a loving family.

He leaned forward to the projector and with trembling hands set the 8mm film playing for the fifth time. He saw father, Nikita Alexander Reznikov, pushing his sister Amy on a swing; holding him as a baby up close to the camera, clearly the proud and loving father. Amy kissing his hands, as big sisters did with their new baby brothers. It was a private family film, capturing a perfect moment forty three years ago. And although his mother was not in it, she had clearly been filming. This was a moment other people had, other families. Not him. Never had he allowed himself to dream that he had once been part of such normal family life. Never. He just couldn't afford to.

Callen studied the image of his father wearing the uniform of a Russian officer; specifically a Major in the KGB, according to Eric's research. Hetty had told him that his father had been arrested in 1974, just as he and his sister left Romania. He thought about what he had found out about Arkady and his father. Both had helped refugees escape to America and his father must have instigated plans for him and Amy to follow the same route. But was this before or after his mother had been shot dead?

Callen recalled the conversations Hetty had had with him several years ago. His mother had contacted Hetty, desperate to leave Romania with two young children. Hetty had not once mentioned the reason why she had to leave and neither was there any mention of his father. But then that was not surprising as his mother was CIA and the CIA would not help extract a family where the father was a known KGB agent, unless he was prepared to turn traitor and defect. Maybe the CIA found out and that was why Hetty was instructed to abort the mission...

Was his mother desperate to leave as his father had already been arrested? That made no sense as his father would have no need to ask Hans Schreiber to keep track of him in America. Callen scrambled around for a pen and paper as he started to make sense of his unknown early years. The logical thought process was that an arrest warrant was already out for his father, and they decided that his mother should leave with the children via her CIA connections. But how the hell did he and his mother end up on a beach next to the Comescu's compound?

Callen stopped scribbling his notes as he became stuck on the same question he had pondered over the last two years. Even if his mother had been told about the Romani blood feud with the Comescu's, she could not have been aware of where they lived. Callen closed his eyes and remembered the small sandcastle he had been building when the men had approached. No, his mother may have been anxious to leave Romania but had clearly felt safe enough at the beach. Somehow her cover had been blown and the Comescu's had discovered his mother was a Callen, and camped out on their doorstep. But what had her undercover name been? And had she and her father actually married? Had she become a Reznikov? Had the Comescu's found that out too? Was _he_ actually a Reznikov? Had he been given a different name for protection? The KGB would chase down agents that betrayed them and their families, but two young children who had escaped to America? Unless of course the KGB would pursue them and use them as future spies; future sleeper agents... Callen shuddered at the thought as he realised how valuable a prize and how successful a sleeper agent he could have been.

After the events in Romania, Hetty had finally admitted that she had known Callen's mother. She had begged his forgiveness in withholding the information he had so desperately desired all his life. It had taken a while, but he had forgiven her, however additional snippets of information such as Hetty's collection of orphans, meant his trust in her was being slowly eroded. He had though, held on to the knowledge that Hetty had said that he was given his grandfather's name of Callen. That he was _given_ that name...The only property that he had seemed to have owned forever was an army kit bag, printed with the name CALLEN. G. His grandfather was George Callen, and if he was given that name then his identity issues ran a lot deeper than not knowing what the G stood for. He allowed a small smile to tug the edge of his lips as he realised how excited Nate would be if he knew all this. Mind you, he was sure that Hetty had already updated his files and advised Nate. Something else to look forward to – an appointment with Nate and then maybe the eventual revelation of his full or real name.

So his mother was murdered before his father was arrested, which meant his father had rescued him from the beach and taken him and his sister somewhere safe, using his connections to smuggle them out of Romania to America. Callen paused in his thoughts for a moment and a chill ran down his spine as he repeated that to himself. People smuggling had been a core element of the Comescu's criminal activities. Was there a connection? He shook his head as if to wipe the thought from his mind. He could not even contemplate that thought, at least not right now. To re-phrase then, his father had arranged safe passage for them to reach America. Was that through Arkady? Again Callen stopped. More possible connections? Every time he obtained answers about his past, he was met with more questions. Arkady was ex-KGB; he had already admitted that he was involved in helping refugees escape to America. And Hans Schreiber had been the proof of a tangible link between Arkady and his father. Two ends of the spectrum. Had Arkady lied to him earlier? Was Arkady more involved than he had revealed?

And what were the plans once they were in America? If Hans Schreiber was to repay his father's debt by keeping track of Callen and his sister, why were they separated? Something must have gone wrong, for him more so than Amy, after all she had at least known her name and had remembered him – her baby brother. Callen stared at the make-shift screen which now only showed the white light from the projector; the film having finished many minutes earlier. Although he was four when he first arrived in America, he had no recollection of this time or anything earlier, no memories of his mother, father or sister; only the repressed memories of witnessing his mother's assassination, which had surfaced with his visit to Romania in 2011. He was five when he was placed in his first orphanage on the East Coast. Maine followed by Massachussetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New York and New Jersey, moving through the middle states before ending up on the West coast of California. The only addresses he had for Amy, courtesy of Keelson's notebook which was presumably stolen from Schreiber, were all in California.

Callen's head was beginning to spin as the realisation dawned that he finally felt relief. Relief and calm that he had not been abandoned by his family. Circumstances beyond anyone's control had led to his unfortunate upbringing. And indirectly through his father's request of Hans Schreiber and Hetty's guilt over failing to save his mother, Callen had been looked out for. Schreiber had kept track of him, taking photographs where possible and carefully noting down each change of address. Hetty had gotten him out of the orphanages and in to each foster home. Callen sighed at the thought of Hetty. There had been many times the orphanages were better than the foster homes, but he knew Hetty's heart was in the right place.

His mind drifted again and Callen held on to the thought that there was no record of his father's death. He must be alive, he thought as he brushed some photos aside to find the card that had been left on his sister's grave.

"To my sweet daughter always in my heart"

Schreiber might have lied to the Comescu's that he was Callen's father but there was no reason for him to have left such a card. But then surely it was Schreiber who been responsible for the most recent photo of him at his sister's grave? And then there were his dying words, "Tell him the debt is paid."

Callen felt his heart leap at the real possibility that his father was alive and possibly even here in Los Angeles before he checked himself. No, it was that kind of hope that led to heart-ache. He leant forward to the projector and set the film to run again. Leaning back in his chair he watched his family's film for the sixth time and smiled. He would find his father, even if it meant trawling through the depths of Siberian labour camps and highly classified KGB records. He would find his father, and he would find more answers.


End file.
